Does this sound like menopause?? Advice needed please!

[Fedupwithworrying]

I've just turned 45 and I hadn't expected my menopause to start yet (I feel quite "fertile" in that I had my last baby at 41+)... anyway, this month my period didn't come (2 weeks overdue) and I've been as regular as clockwork for years. I did also experience what I thought may have been a hot flush(not sure but I was burning up and very sweaty - most unpleasant!!)... anyway, I'm wondering does this sound like the menopause? It doesn't "just happen" does it - ie. is it normal to miss a period or is this something else?? I'm definitely not pregnant my the way!

I can't say I've noticed any other symptoms particularly - I'm also moody with PMT but no worse than normal it's just that my period never arrived.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

yes, it could be the start of the menopause. but equally it might not be. your gp may order a hormone test for you, but really it takes a series of tests for a result - and even then it might not be conclusive. menopausal symptoms can last 10 years before periods finally stop. if you are not overly bothered with symptoms, what's the worry?

I'm almost 45 as well, had my last baby at 40.5, started vague perimenopausal symptoms when I was around 42!

I also had my last child at 41. I'm 51 now, still regular as clockwork. I have the occasional hot flush at nite where I feel as if I want to run out into the garden naked to cool down! Then my periods can be very heavy and clotty and I feel drained after. Dizzy and weak for about a day or two after. Nothing else is unusual aprt from those things so I am just waiting... Some people go thru it without bother and others suffer and are over and done with it a lot earlier. My daughter says go get checked but I think, 'and what would that give me?'.. I don't really care right now, I suppose I would go if I felt ill from it something, but so far so good. I bet if I did go Dr would say 'yes you are premenopausal' because I'm 51...but I've got no other symptoms, no mood swings, etc... it varies person to person. How did it go with your Mum? they reckon thats an indicator...

Are very heavy and clotty periods a symptom of peri-menopause?

'They' say .. that a woman is peri-menopausal from about 33yo.

It sounds to me like you had a delayed ovulation, and you will have your period in a few days.

Stress can extend the pre-ovulatory stage of your cycle.

If you have an ovulation predictor stick it might be a plan to test?

otherwise you might just have not ovulated, and have no cycle this month. although 'they' yes, 'them' again.. say that you should have some sort of bleeding / spotting even if you don't ovulate, as a result of the endometrium building up.

It's often the case if you have a light period that ovulation didn't occur at all.
And heavy and clotted periods are also a feature of perimenopause.

Be sure to take a good tonic and up your Iron and vitamin B complex.

Watch out for the saturated fats in your diet also. Women's occurance of Heart disease after the menopause is the same as men's. Cut back on saturated fats now, and clear your arteries of cholesterol buildup and plaques. It's also a good idea to lose about 10Lbs if you are a little 'cuddly', and to start taking regular 30 min walks, and other load bearing exercise three times a week, to strengthen your bones - they have to last you for another 40 years after all.

It's a good idea to take phyto-oestrogens - like Soya / tofu and also Red Clover herbal supplements as well (for hot flashes), and reduce your intake of red meats, and acid producing food - bread etc, and salt.

I'm 40 and this is the advice that my GP, gynae and dietitian gave me. My dietitian is 55 and she is as fit as a flea - she stands on her head for 30 mins a day. Not sure if she wears a tin-foil hat but her mum is 90 and going strong also, so there must be something in it.

everyone is different- i had "normal" regular periods right up to 51, (now 53) apart from some shorter cycles from around 48.

Meno can happen anytime from 45-55 and the average age for final period in the UK is 51.5.

You can either have one last period and no more ever, or more often they come and go and peter out with irregular cycles for up to 10 years.

Things take a while to plateau out- I had about 3 weeks of hot flushes 18 months back then they disappeared. Then I had a period every month or 6 weeks- a mixture of heavy-ish and light.
Now I have started on the hot flushes again- very mild so far, and it's about 4 weeks since my last (??) period.

My gynae says my body is not giving up. He suggests lots of exercise- I walk roughly 3 miles a day, 4-5 times a week and exercise with weights etc at home too.

You should only have heavy periods if you have missed some and the lining builds up- but if you have fibroids, then you might bleed more heavily. I didn't know I had one until my latest check up, but it's small.

p.s. If you are looking for a natural supplement, my gynae ( brilliant, lovely man in Harley Street, treats the Royal family) suggests Meno Herbs from www.victoriahealth.com

Sounds like the start of menopause to me but these can go on for many years. I had my second (and last) child at 40.

Began getting menopausal symptoms at 48/49 and now I have gaps between my (previously regular) periods. I'm 52 and expect my periods to carry on happening less and less frequently until they stop.

I have a small amount of overheating (mainly my face) and sometimes feel slightly forgetful........

now where was I

Aah thanks girlnextdoor!, that might explain my last ghastly period - had had only light spotting before. it's crap being a woman, isn't it!

menopause can happen earlier than 45!

Started hot flushes and night sweats at age 39. Had my last period at age 44. Am now aged 47 and am still getting hot flushes and night sweats, but they are getting less frequent.

As your ovaries get smaller and less effective expect your periods to get heavier, expect clots etc.

i've been having hot flushes - they're awful. And I haven't had a period for three months. I'm 40. Can't be menopause can it? DH and me were hoping I might have a 2nd child. Anyone know it this is impossible now? Have also been more prone to spots especially around chin/jaw and was told when I was having a facial that this could be a hormone imbalance.

if you have had facial hair have you thought about PCO?

The only way to tell is to have your hormones profiled and see a gynae about all of this.

Thanks. No to facial hair and I'm going to make GP appointment after my hols to get hormones checked. I had to take clomid to get pregnant last time due to hormone imbalance but thought this might have somehow righted itself.

Clure

I hate to tell you this but I had ds at 40 yrs old and was really hoping for,another child.

However my periods just stopped about 2 years ago (I was 41) (I had never missed a single period before except when pregnant) Even during demand breastfeeding my periods were as regular as clockwork for the first year of ds's life.

Although my blood tests were not definitive for menopause, my doctor said that at any age after 40 yeares old, one of the ways of defining menopause is having had no periods for 1 year. That put me at menopausal and unable to have any more children.

I also had various tests which showed I was pretty infertile and had basically stopped producing eggs so evev though my fsh wasn't that high (i.e the normal way to measure the menopause via blood tests) my chances of getting pregnant again were nill basically.

Lazycow - can I ask what kind of test you had? My periods have been all over the place since I had DD 3 and half years ago it's only recently they've gone awol

I'm 41 and my periods have gone all over the place too. This month I've only had light spotting (I was convinced it was an 'implantation bleed, but relieved the test was negative). Does that mean I'm in for a 'clotty monster' next time?

Very grateful that I managed to concieve in my late thirties! I didn't expect the dreaded menopause this early

Clure

I had some blood tests checking my fsh level ordered by my Gp. This showed my FSH was a bit high (20 I think) but not necessarily menopausal.

I later went for some private tests at a fertility clinic as I wanted another child and the laco of periods was obviously a serious stumbling block.

They gave me an ovarian stress test, which measures the number and quality of eggs you are producing and they did some blood tests to measure my hormones again . My FSH level was 11 this time (lower) but some of the other hormonal readings and the ovarian stress test they did indicated that my feritily level was almost zero. By this time I hadn't had a proper period for about a year - just one period of very light bleeding for 1-2 days in that time.

Basically the tests showed that I had probably had quite low fertility levels anyway and that I was probably pretty much well into menopause.

i,m 45 and think i'm probs in middle of menopause although i have a mirenra coil which my gynae recommended for getting though meno with less symptoms.

i spend most of my time feeling too damn hot, have had real trouble with hair growth (although this seems to be getting better) spots, moodiness and lack of libido - not sure if all of the above was due to menopause or depression, i have just started on a 'new me regime', joined a gym, had a few beauty treatments etc. but - the most important thing for me was to get my dh to understand what was going on with me, both physically and mentally (he is 10 years younger than me)

sorry, just read the above and i sound a bit 'menopausally mad' am so sorry for any of you hoping for more dcs

Was just thinking about the exercise thing, I'm big into competing in triathlon and duathlon and am mostly training 4 sometimes 5 days a week. I've heard this can play havoc with periods. Anyone else had this?

Jesuswhatnext - sympathise with the hot thing its awful, I feel like my face is a permanent slick of oily sweat ( v attractive!)

Lazycow - thanks for sharing your experience, its given me food for thought